Nervous System Integration Facilitation

NERVOUS SYSTEM INTEGRATION FACILITATION (NSIF)

WHAT Does It Mean To Be a NSI Facilitator?

As a NSIF I offer a safe space for my students to explore the edges of self awareness on a physical level so that they can begin to connect the dots between body and mind.

A NSI facilitator is someone who is comprehensively trained in the science and most recent theories of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and Polyvagal Theory — particularly as they apply to connection, communication, conflict resolution, and behavior change — has undergone extensive practical application, and has a system to follow that will set the precedent for others.

WHAT Is Nervous System Integration Facilitation?

NSI is a framework to facilitate awareness of and cultivate resilience in a person's unique nervous system by means of 3 pillars of exploration and practice:

1. Develop Awareness (of the NS)
2. Practice Shifting (back to ventral and expanding ventral)
3. Nurture Change (behavior change, which is based in the NS)

NSI is based in the Polyvagal Theory and other ANS sciences and draws from movement modalities such as Pilates, yoga, Qigong, Feldenkrais and other somatic approaches. It also brings together strategies of meditation, reflection and inquiry, and brain-based coaching.

HOW Do You Practice Nervous System Work (NSW)?

“Nervous System Work” includes movement + self massage, breath work, reflection or inquiry and sounding practices which are designed to help tune or tone your Vagus Nerve and benefit your overall nervous system regulation. When practiced regularly, this work can help soothe and support the whole person's awareness and care of body and mind so that they can navigate the ups and downs of life in more fluid and easeful ways. I facilitate Nervous System Work as a standalone practice or integrate it into Pilates-based movement sessions based on individual needs and preferences.

Nervous System Work + Tuning Tools are meant to:
● Regulate one’s Nervous System in a state of life threat (actual or perceived)
● Expand and prolong a state of safety or regulation in one’s Nervous System
● Promote Nervous System state shifts while minimizing cost to any one system or the system as a whole.

WHY Practice Nervous System Work?

Nervous System work can help to support your whole health and wellness in a variety of ways. We practice NSI in the Be Well Pilates studio because it can have a significant impact in reduction and management of pain and stress, improving movement patterns during exercise as well as one’s ability to co-regulate and connect with others in their lives.

Connection + Co-Regulation
- Practicing the NS work supports us in connecting with others in a deeper and more meaningful way by providing self-soothing and self-regulating tools which help us to listen to and treat our bodies like good friends. This is because unbeknownst to us, our bodies are constantly exchanging cues (neuroception), which invite or inhibit connection with others (co-regulation). When we are anchored and well regulated - or feeling more comfortable in ourselves - we are more present and open to sending and receiving signals for connection. It’s like clearing out the muck in a storm drain - when cleared the drain can receive water and pass it along.
Exercise + Movement
- Practicing the NS work helps us to learn more about the individual cues our bodies offer up, so that we can better listen to and TRUST our bodies in movement and know what type of movement or exercise is safest and most appropriate for certain circumstances. This allows us to better use movement as medicine to ease stress or anxiety, recoup energy, strength, flexibility and overall resilience.
Pain Reduction + Management
- When we practice the NS work we can begin to uncover the underlying causes of pain which may not be strictly related to biomechanical or structural issues. By becoming aware of our unique zones of safety and danger - in both movement and mindset - which result in the experience or fear of pain, we can rebuild TRUST in our own bodies. Once we TRUST ourselves, it becomes easier to navigate and potentially reduce or manage our pain.
Stress Reduction + Management
- Many consider stress to be an external force which exerts itself upon us, which is why we often say “I’m under a lot of stress.” But truthfully, stress is not an external force, it is an internal reaction to circumstances . . . It is how we respond to what is happening around us. By practicing the NS work we can get to know our individual stress responses presented by our biology and create a personal toolbox of calming (or uplifting) practices and strategies which can be used not just in the NS practice itself, but also in the moments in which stress responses begin to surface day to day and during bigger life changes. In short, NS practices train us for (navigating) change with more ease.